Islanders work like beavers to stay afloat

BEAVER ISLAND -- This wildlife mecca is also an earthly paradise for hundreds of human inhabitants, many of whom work two or three jobs to live here.

Nicknamed the Emerald Isle in honor of the many residents of Irish ancestry, Beaver Island lies in northern Lake Michigan, 32 miles northwest of Charlevoix, which offers both ferry and airline service to the remote spot.

The island, about 13 miles long and nearly 7 miles wide, is an outstanding nature area, home to a large population of deer, turkeys, waterfowl, hares and songbirds.

It's also home to several hundred people year-round, but the summertime population can easily reach 8,000 or more, as rental cabins and lodges fill with summer visitors.

Some residents say more than 50 percent of the islanders work two or more jobs to make ends meet.

Frank Solle is a good example of what residents are willing to do to enjoy their island lifestyle.

Solle writes for a local monthly magazine, the Beaver Beacon; works as the adviser to the local K-12 public school yearbook; freelances as a photographer; does graphic design and printing jobs; and writes poetry that he self-publishes.

Solle also volunteers as a trail steward for the Nature Conservancy's Little Sand Bay Trail. His wife, Sue, works as the island's nurse practitioner, providing basic and intermediate medical care for residents and guests.

Frank Solle, 54, started living on the island at age 14, and his wife was the daughter of a professor who directed Central Michigan University biological stations during summer months. They have known each other since they were teenagers.

They left the island for nearly 20 years after college to live in Montana and the Upper Peninsula but returned in 2003.

Solle, who writes a golf column for the magazine, is an avid golfer known as "Fairway Frank." There is only one golf course on the island, and Solle knows every blade of grass.

He keeps busy with his many jobs and duties but said it's worth it.

"You have to work side jobs or freelance to survive," Solle said, adding that many people also volunteer as on-call firefighters or emergency medical workers as a service to the community. "You have to work hard in the summer to get through the winters. It is the price you pay to live in paradise."

Like many residents, he said he likes the island's relaxed pace, beautiful sunsets and sense of community.

Solle said he likes to hunt for mushrooms, snowshoe, hike and bicycle, among outdoor pursuits. He includes cutting and stacking firewood as one of his favorite activities -- not surprisingly, he heats the family home primarily with a wood stove.

Living on an island year-round, he said, requires the kind of personality that doesn't require a lot of outside influences to keep oneself entertained.

The island has no movie theater or many other entertainment facilities, although a community center under construction will have a small theater, he said.

Another example of a hard-working Beaver Islander is John Works Jr.

The 48-year-old has lived on the island since 1979 and works several jobs to remain.
He is the supervisor of Peaine Township, which covers three-quarters of the island. He also owns and operates the 50-year-old Beaver Island Golf Course and owns two farms with about 200 acres, where he raises cattle.

In the winter, he works as a snowplow contractor, plowing driveways and parking lots for residents and businesses. Works also has a builder's license and performs home repair work and remodeling.

In his spare time, he likes to read books about the Civil War, do a little snowmobiling and make furniture, primarily for his own family's use.

Mostly, though, he works.

"You have to do that to get ahead here," he said. "I know the road commission guy here who has a full-time job picks up a little extra money trimming trees and cutting firewood."

Works said living and working on the island is a challenge that sometimes produces a "love-hate" feeling -- but mostly love.

"Sometimes, the island feels a little small and I want to drive a road that I have never seen before," he said. "Our family likes to go the mainland twice a year to see family and do some shopping and drive around there.

"Sometimes I want to be anonymous once in a while," he said. "Everyone here knows who I am, so people frequently stop me to talk about township business.
"Most of the time it is OK, but sometimes ...."

Works said what he likes best about living on Beaver Island is that his 11-year-old daughter can go downtown in St. James safely.

"You can leave your keys in your ignition here, and your car is still safe," he said.
"If you break down on the road, someone will always stop to help you -- even if you are a stranger."